Ready Set Cook!
 Sunday, July 11th at 11:00AMTunxis Plantation Country Club87 Town Farm Road, Farmington, CT 06032 Passion and expertise are the key ingredients for a fun filled, fast-paced cooking showdown at the Tunxis Plantation Country Club. Hosted by Rachel Lutzker (Fox 61 news) and Cory Myers (Country 92.5 Morning show host), guests will watch four teams comprised of Celebrity Chefs, Local Celebrities, and Executive Sponsors compete against each other as they turn a selection of everyday ingredients into two extraordinary meals.
A panel of culinary elite judges will be on hand to taste, critique and ultimately award one team the title of Gifts of Love "Top Chefs!" This year's "READY, SET, COOK!" showdown will include Chefs Kevin Cottle and Van Hurd, both from the Country Club of Farmington and appeared on the reality TV show "Hell's Kitchen", Tyler Anderson, Exec. Chef at The Copper  Beech Inn and winner of reality TV show "Chopped" and William Carbone, Exec. Chef and partner of Dish Bar & Grill. Local Celebrities include Mary Glassman (Simsbury's First Selectman and currently running for Lt. Governor), Linda Schofield (State Representative), Jim Bosh (Country 92.5 Morning show host) and Bob Carwford (Sports Announce for the Hartford Wolfpack). The panel of judges include MaryEllen Fillo (Java Columnist- Hartford Courant and appears daily on the Jerry Kristafer show on 102.9 DRC-FM - The Big D), Terry Walters (Chef and author of "Clean Food") and David Pianka (Chef and owner of Papcelle Restaurant). Food sponsors include The Meat House "Your Neighborhood Butcher", Community Farm of Simsbury many local businesses.
Cost: $35 Per Person and includes:
Brunch, Cooking Showdown, Live Entertainment, Complimentary Champagne, Delicious Desserts and Make your own Sundae's! The day also includes: Tea Cup/Silent Auctions and More
 Tickets available for purchase on-line at www.giftsoflovect.org OR at the following locations: * Gifts of Love, 35 East Main Street, Avon (860) 676-2323
* The Hair Loft, Riverdale Farms, 136 Simsbury Road, Avon (860) 674-9460
*Tunxis Plantation Country Club, 87 Town Farm Road, Farmington (860) 677-1367
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Summer Volunteer Opportunities
During the holidays, people were so generous and truly made the holidays memorable for our clients. People donated gifts, gift cards, food, wrapping paper and even Christmas trees! But now that the new year has rolled around, it is easy for all of us to get caught up in our busy lives and forget about giving back until the holidays roll around again. Don't let that happen this year!  Volunteer at Gifts of Love! Studies show that volunteering alleviates stress, eases depression and leads to better physical health. And we need your help! Last year, over 75 volunteers spent over 7,000 hours helping with clients, sorting clothes, stocking shelves and working at the front desk. We truly couldn't do any of this without them.
Gifts of Love is an organization that helps meet the basic needs of individuals and families in Central Connecticut experiencing a financial crisis so that they can achieve and maintain self sufficiency. Our clients are hardworking people who simply can not make end meet. We are located in Old Avon Village at 35 East Main Street in Avon.
Because of the wonderful support of our volunteers, Gifts of Love has continued to add more clients and become more important to the community than ever before. Since summer is fast approaching and many of our current volunteers have children home from school or vacation plans, we are in desperate  need of more dedicated volunteers. If you or anyone you know may be interested in volunteering even 1 to 2 hours per week, please contact me. The following is a list of areas where we could use some additional volunteers:
- Clothing room on Mondays or Thursdays
- Answering phones on Thurs afternoons (noon - 3PM)
- Assisting clients in the pantry on Wed or Fridays (flexible hours)
- Stocking food shelves
- Working at the Community Farm of Simsbury picking fresh fruits and vegetables for our food pantries in the Farmington River Valley.
This is also an excellent opportunity for students to include on college applications. It is also a nice time to volunteer with your children. Giving back to your community is a rewarding experience for all involved.
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Our Youngest Clients!
Three month old triplets were born early and spent 3 months in the hospital. They visited Gifts of Love on their way home from the hospital to get diapers, formula and other necessities.
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2010 Movie Nights! 